Nightmare in the Woods
by Sione
Summary: Glorfindel and Erestor decides to take an evening ride in the woods but things goes terribly wrong... GlorfindelErestor, some fluff and suspense
1. Chapter 1

_And here comes the sequel to 'A love Unknown', I'm glad I managed to finish it! You don't need to read the prequel to understand this story but I would recommend it. This is a little longer then the last one so you will get it in two chapters. _

Title: Nightmare in the Woods

Author: Sione

Pairing: Glorfindel/Erestor

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

Notes: I had no beta reader for this and English is not my first language so I'm sorry for any grammar and spelling mistakes.

Summary: Glorfindel and Erestor decides to take an evening ride in the woods but things goes terribly wrong.

_**Edit:**__ This is now finally beta-ed, it was certainly about time, huh? ;)_

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Glorfindel had now been courting Erestor for about five months and everything was going well. The Councillor had to say he enjoyed the extra attention, and instead of spending his evenings alone, like before, they were often spend in the pleasant company of the golden warrior. To be honest he loved being courted, but at the same time it was an unusual feeling to be the centre of someone's attention. And it was not just any elf's attention, it was Glorfindel's. Erestor smiled broadly at the thought. Once again the warrior showed him that he really cared about him and was not simply interested in a night of passion and nothing more. 

Actually, everything had been going very slow and they still hadn't taken it further than innocent kisses. The dark elf suspected that Glorfindel was more than ready to take it to the next level, but he never said a word of it and Erestor appreciated his patience for he did not yet feel ready for anything more than kisses. The crude comments said by the warriors five months earlier hadn't been entirely wrong about Erestor's lack of lovers. He had a couple of female lovers in his youth, but those moments had on the whole been pretty awkward and it was a very long time ago. He had never had any male lovers, even though his attraction to the same sex had started to outgrow his love for females a long time ago.

The advisor also felt a bit embarrassed at the thought of being together with Glorfindel, who must be so much more experienced. What would he think of him? He had read a couple of books on the subject but he wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the act itself. It seemed to be rather painful and to be honest Erestor found it somewhat scary. They hadn't really discussed any of this yet, they were still in the kissing stage after all, but Erestor couldn't help but to think about these matters.

Their relationship had been looked upon with surprise by many. Erestor supposed it must have been quite a shock for Glorfindel's warriors. The elf that they used to make fun of was now suddenly courted by their dear Captain, and if they didn't have the desire to muck out the stables for a couple of months they better not talk ill of him in the presences of Glorfindel. That had been the punishment for the two unlucky elves who had humiliated Erestor that special evening almost five months ago. The dark-haired elf was happy that he was not in the two warriors' shoes the day after when the Captain ordered their punishment, Glorfindel could be rather intimidating when he was angry. Erestor had discovered that the blond elf had a very protective side and he found it to be somewhat sweet and scary at the same time.

But he also discovered that Glorfindel indeed had a soft side as well. He was an excellent listener and he was always caring and sweet. They actually did have things in common too, they both enjoyed a game of chess and they had surprisingly interesting conversation about just about everything. To the advisor's delight Glorfindel enjoyed reading and Erestor excitedly recommended to him all of his favourite books in the library.

Sometimes Erestor thought that his warrior was just like a big teddy bear, which he teasingly pointed out to Glorfindel one evening. The blond elf had merely growled and leapt on him, catching the petite elf in a fierce hug. 'You know bears can be quite dangerous when provoked, my sweet. You should watch that sharp tongue of yours, or this bear might just decide to gobble you all up,' he had whispered in a pointed ear, making Erestor shiver. Glorfindel had slowly planted kisses along the dark elf's neck, down along his collarbone to finally return to the ear and nibble on the tip lightly. Erestor had gasped and taken a firm hold on the golden tresses. 'If this is how it feels to be gobbled up I might just want to try it again sometime,' he had said with a grin, making the warrior growl once more in the crook of his neck. That had been a good evening, Erestor thought. They had eventually eaten a rather cold dinner because of certain…distractions, and later that night went for a ride under the stars. He smiled fondly at the memory while running his fingers through his feather quill.

The Councillor hadn't gotten much done this morning, lost in memories and excited about the afternoon when Glorfindel would return from his one week patrol and join him for dinner in his chamber. The week had felt excruciatingly long, and he yearned with all his heart for the golden elf's return. He couldn't help but to also be feeling a little worried whenever the warrior was away on his regular patrols. The borders of Imladris were normally safe, with some raids of orcs from time to time and some trespassing humans but nothing serious. So there really wasn't anything to worry about, but still… 'Ai, I'm really turning into a lovesick fool!' Erestor cursed himself. 'And I'm not getting anything done either. I really must finish these reports.' Once again he turned his attention to the documents in front of him.

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About three hours later Erestor stood in the courtyard together with a group of elves waiting for the squad of warriors' return. He was standing next to Elrond, restlessly shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"He will be here soon," Elrond said with an amused smile.

"What? Oh yes, I'm just a bit excited. I'm acting like an impatient elfling, aren'tI?"

"Just a bit," the elf lord replied with a chuckle.

Erestor blushed and murmured, "I'm sorry"

"Don't be. I'm just glad to see you happy my friend, even if it means I have had a very absent-minded Chief Councillor of late."

The dark-haired elf smiled apologetically, but the sounds of hooves made his head snap around. He saw the troop come riding through the gates and closely looked for a glimpse of golden hair. As Glorfindel came riding to the head of the group Erestor's smile broadened. He looked beautiful up on his white steed, his golden hair shinning in the sun. Blue eyes met dark and Erestor's smile was answered with an even broader one. As Elrond gave a formal welcome to the warriors they kept staring at each other, not hearing a word of it. When he finally finished Glorfindel dismounted and handed the reins to one of the approaching stable boys with a loving pat on Asfaloth's neck.

Not able to contain himself any longer, Erestor let the warrior take about two steps towards him before he launched himself at him, not caring about the elves around them. He had been much less concerned about his appearance as of late, Glorfindel definitely had had a bad influence on him. He was caught in a fierce hug and he felt his feet leave the ground for a moment.

"Missed me?" The golden warrior chuckled in his ear.

"Unbearably so, I'm glad you're back." He absently drew a finger along the warrior's leather-clad chest and murmured, "Did you miss me?"

"Of course, the days couldn't go fast enough," Glorfindel huskily replied. He licked his lips and looked down on the advisor with a predatorily grin. "Hmm, I think I know what I missed the most."

"And what is that?" Erestor asked with a mischievous smile.

"Those wondrous soft lips of yours. I think I will have a taste of them right now." He slowly leaned down and captured the advisor's lips in a hungry yet gentle kiss which was eagerly responded to. Slightly breathless, Erestor finally drew back.

"Maybe we should take this inside," he suggested with a rising blush when he looked around the courtyard, noticing the many glances directed at them.

"I rather just ravish you right here in the courtyard in front of everyone," Glorfindel replied cheekily in his ear.

Erestor pushed away the smirking warrior. "Behave, my dear Balrog slayer, or you won't get a chance to ravish me anywhere," he responded with a teasing smile. "Now come on, I will have dinner served in my chambers for us."

"Oh you spoil me, Erestor."

"Yes, I know." He grinned, but then turned serious and pointed a finger in Glorfindel's chest. "But first, you need a bath." The blond elf groaned, but the Councillor merely raised a dark eyebrow.

Glorfindel shrugged his shoulder. "Fine, I'll be in your rooms in an hour."

"I'm looking forward to it," Erestor said softly while running a hand over the muscular chest. "Now off with you, my smelly warrior. The faster you go, the earlier I can have you in my rooms again."

Glorfindel chuckled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before he was off.

Erestor didn't waste any time as he hurried up to his chambers to prepare for the blond elf's return. He changed into a dark blue robe, fixed his hair and swiftly prepared for their dinner which had been brought up to his room. He had chosen Glorfindel's favourite food for the evening and brought in fresh flowers. He had just lit the last candle when there was a knock on the door. He took a quick look in the mirror and straightened his robe before he opened the door.

Glorfindel was standing there with a big grin plastered on his face, wearing a green tunic and brown leggings. "I'm clean," he pointed out.

"So I see." He stepped aside with a smile. "Please, come in."

Glorfindel looked around the room and smiled. "You really do spoil me." He stepped closer and fondled the raven black hair. "You look lovely Erestor." The warrior extracted a rectangular wooden box from behind his back and handed it to him. "Here, a present for you. It's nothing special, but I thought you should have it."

"Glorfindel you didn't have to—"

But the warrior just shushed him and pressed the box into Erestor's hands. "I know, but I wanted to."

So the dark-haired elf opened the box and gasped when he looked inside. A beautiful long black feather had been laid on a bed of deep red velvet. He carefully lifted the feather to study it closer. "It's beautiful, where ever did you find this?"

"I found it during the patrol in the woods, and I thought it would make a perfect quill for my little scribe," he said fondly while caressing a smooth cheek.

"It's too lovely to use, really."

"No, you should use it," Glorfindel insisted.

"I will, but only on special occasions. I don't want to wear it out too quickly." He smiled and stroked the black feather before carefully placing it back on the velvet bed.

"So you like it then?" The warrior said softly while pulling the small elf closer to him, two hands planted firmly on the slim hips.

"I love it, thank you," Erestor replied honestly and met the approaching lips of the warrior. A moan of delight escaped him as Glorfindel gently kneaded his back with skilful hands while nibbling lightly on his full lips.

"Maybe we should eat first," Erestor suggested a little shakily when the warrior finally released his lips.

"I'm eating right now," The golden-haired elf murmured while he continued to nibbling and sucking along his neck and collarbone.

Erestor almost yelped when Glorfindel bit down a little harder but soon felt a soothing tongue on the bite mark.

"The dinner, Glorfindel. Before it gets cold," he specified in a high-pitched tone, even though he was aware that the blond elf knew all along what he was talking about. With a large amount of will power he pushed Glorfindel away from him and earned himself a disappointed look.

"We are not going to eat cold dinner like last time, sit down." He determinately pointed to one of the chairs at the fully set table. Glorfindel finally gave in with a shrug and sat down. Fortunately the dinner hadn't gone cold yet and they had a pleasant meal while they talked about the last week and its happening.

When they finished Glorfindel leaned back with a satisfied smile on his face. "That was wonderful, thank you Erestor. I'd been longing for some proper food."

"It was nothing."

Glorfindel leaned forward and caught the advisor's small hands in his. "How about we celebrate my return with an evening ride?"

"That sounds like a lovely idea." Erestor smiled a cheeky grin. "One or two horses?"

"We take Asfaloth, I want to feel you close tonight. I have missed holding that perfect body of yours."

"And I have missed being held by you." Erestor reluctantly drew his hands away and stood up. "I must change first though."

Glorfindel came around the table and gave him a lingering kiss. "Come down to the stables when you're ready, I'll be waiting for you."

Erestor hurriedly stepped out of his robes and dressed in black leggings and a simple rust brown tunic. He thought about braiding his hair but stopped himself; Glorfindel liked his hair loose he remembered. With a smile he took a brush and ran it through his raven mane a couple of time before leaving it as it was.

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When Erestor joined Glorfindel, who stood ready in the courtyard, the sun was set low in the sky and painted it in golden tones. This wasn't the first time they had taken an evening ride; actually it was one out of many. Their jobs often kept them busy in the daytime, and besides they enjoyed riding out to meet the beautiful sunsets of Imladris. Summer was upon them so the weather was warm and the evenings were actually a blessing from the burning sun this time of year. If they stayed out long enough and the sky was clear, they would watch the stars together. It reminded Erestor of that cold winter night five months ago when they had shone bright upon them.

The blond warrior was standing ready with Asfaloth's reins in his hands. He smiled broadly when he saw Erestor approaching.

"Ready?" he inquired.

Erestor nodded and answered that broad smile with one of his own.

Glorfindel grabbed him by the waist and helped him up on Asfaloth's back, even though he was quite capable of mounting a horse by himself. An amused smile played on Erestor's lips. Well, come to think about it, there were a lot of things Glorfindel had done for him these last months that he had no trouble doing on his own before. Like holding out his chair, opening doors, and at one time actually feeding him, Erestor thought with a blush. He was so caught up in memories that he jumped slightly in surprise when Glorfindel sat up behind him, which earned him a chuckle from the blond warrior.

"And where were you, my dear Councillor?"

"Oh, I was just thinking…"

"About what?" Glorfindel whispered seductively in his ear while leaning forward to take hold of the reins.

Erestor felt the blood rush to his cheeks. "About the time we ate strawberry tarts," he answered with an embarrassed smile.

"Aah, that was a pleasant evening, we should do it again sometime." The warrior kissed a heated cheek and tightened the hold he had around the slim waist.

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They rode longer than usual that evening, none of them really interested in stopping. Glorfindel was content with holding the small elf in his arms and Erestor was enjoying the feeling of being held. But when the advisor felt himself slipping into slumber he suggested a stop. He knew Glorfindel would be reluctant to wake him if he fell asleep, but he wouldn't want his sleepiness to end the night so quickly. He hadn't been sleeping very well the last week and it seemed like his tiredness was catching up on him.

"You seem tired," Glorfindel noted when they dismounted. He caught Erestor's hands in his. "Do you want to return?"

"No, I'm alright." He shook his sleepiness off him and smiled up at the warrior. "I can sleep later, now come on." He dragged Glorfindel with him to the small pond they had stopped by.

It was a beautiful little glade they had found, Erestor concluded. He had missed these rides and fully enjoyed being out in the nature again, instead of sitting hunched over his desk. They sat down in the grass against a big oak and Glorfindel drew him up against his shoulder. None of them said anything; instead, they just enjoyed the closeness of each other and listened to the sounds of nature around them. Erestor decided to rest his head against the warrior's shoulder and after awhile closed his eyes.

Erestor woke up groggily when he felt Glorfindel become rigid under him. He blinked confusedly a couple times, for a moment wondering where he was. Then he realised the warrior must have let him fall asleep against him. He was about scold him for it but stopped himself when he looked up into Glorfindel's worried and concentrated face.

"Glorfindel, what—" he started uneasily, but was shushed by a silencing gesture.

It was then that Erestor also heard what was keeping the warrior so tense. A howl carried through the woods and the screech of what sounded very much like an orc followed.

"I can't believe it. How could they have ventured this far?" The dark elf whispered disbelievingly.

"They have their wargs with them. They must be looking for prey to feed them with."

"Maybe we're merely paranoid. It could just be humans with a pack of hunting dogs," Erestor tried hopefully.

"There are no humans Erestor and you know it. You must ride to Imladris now," Glorfindel said seriously and stood up, dragging the dark-haired elf with him.

"What?! I will not leave you here!" he retorted sharply and jerked himself free from the warrior's grip.

"Erestor please, you're unarmed and even if you weren't you haven't fought a battle in ages. I'm the Captain of Imladris; this is my job, let me take care of this."

"Glorfindel, you know this is folly!" Erestor felt himself panicking. "You can't fight them alone, they are too many. Why can't we try and outrun them together?" He grabbed the blond elf by the arm and looked him sternly in the eyes. "You're not staying here alone. Either you come with me or I'm staying right here."

"My sweet Erestor, I love you and I would rather see you safe in Imladris than getting us both into trouble by trying to flee together. Asfaloth cannot carry both of us fast enough from the wargs if they would find our tracks. I can detain them while you get help, and I will only fight them if necessary. Don't worry, I will be fine." He stroked a flushed cheek of the advisor, trying to persuade the obstinate elf.

But Erestor just folded his arms and looked even sterner. "No Glorfindel, I'm not changing my mind in this. I'm staying and that's final."

"Then I'm truly sorry, Erestor," Glorfindel said with a pained expression.

"For what?" he asked with a confused frown.

"For this," The warrior simply said before, with a swift blow, he struck the unprepared advisor in the back of his head with the hilt of a knife he had been hiding behind his back. He tried to keep the blow as gentle as possible but still do the job. Hopefully it had been hard enough to keep Erestor unconscious for awhile.

He quickly caught the small elf before he slumped to the ground. "I'm so sorry love, but I don't want to see you get hurt," he murmured in Erestor's ear while stroking the black head.

He whistled for Asfaloth who obediently came trotting, and hurriedly put the dark-haired elf on the horse. "Bear him well my friend, I'm trusting you on this." He stroked the muzzle of Asfaloth lovingly, who pushed him gently in the chest and gave him an accusing look. The distanced sounds of wargs had now grown uncomfortably loud. "I know." He sighed. "But I'm coming right after you. Now go, carry your burden well and hurry home!" He gave the white horse a light smack on its behind. Asfaloth snorted and, after one long look at his master, set off.

Glorfindel knew he had to run as well. He could probably outrun the orcs but the wargs were likely to catch up with him soon if they found his trail. He would rather avoid that confrontation as long as possible. He had to get back, but first he needed to lead the enemy away from both Imladris and Erestor. At least, he hoped they would chose to follow him instead. He set of at great speed, only barely touching the ground. Without boasting Glorfindel knew he was a skilled warrior, but by the sound of it, he would be badly outnumbered and even he couldn't be sure to win such a fight. Though his heart felt lighter knowing that Erestor was on his way to safety, the Councillor would probably be furious with him when he woke up. But that was a price Glorfindel was willing to pay.

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Erestor slowly regained consciousness again by a bumping motion that painfully banged his pounding head against solid muscle. Something tickled him in his face and he irritably tried to blow it away and slip back to the blackness that fogged his mind. But something was nagging on his mind and stopped him from returning to that blissful oblivion once again. He tried to concentrate his thoughts on that distressing feeling and slowly became aware of the surroundings around him. Come to think about it, he thought he was moving and that solid thing he was flung over was the reason for all the bumping motion which was torturing him so. He groaned loudly when pain shot through his head with double force after another nasty bumping. 'What was going on?' he thought groggily, and slowly started to open his eyes. All he met was darkness and figures of tree trunks flashing before him. He suddenly noticed that he actually was lying over a horse's back, and the thing that had been tickling him was white mane blowing into his face.

Memories suddenly came flashing before him and he abruptly sat up, making Asfaloth flinch at the sudden motion. The evening ride, the orcs, and Glorfindel's pained expression when he apologised for something… Realisation suddenly hit the Councillior. 'No, he didn't,' he thought disbelieving. He traced slender fingers along his throbbing head and found the lump that was forming on the back of his head. 'That damn stubborn elf knocked me unconscious, I can't believe it,' he thought angrily. But now Glorfindel was back there all alone… Erestor was not going to let himself be carried back to safety while his love was still out there. Asfaloth's lonely return would warn the others elves of danger. He was going back there. He took hold of the reins and tugged them to stop the running horse.

"Asfaloth stop, I must get back!" he pleaded.

The horse just snorted and tried to continue his run, but Erestor had made up his mind. With a still firm grip on the reins he pushed his heals into the horse's side.

"Either you stop right now or I will just jump right off you!"

That seemed to get the horse's attention, and he slowed down his run and started dancing nervously. Before Asfaloth even fully stopped Erestor was on the ground. The horse nibbled on his tunic and gave him an accusing look, clearly thinking he should get back up again. Erestor stroked his neck soothingly and then pushed him away. "I know what you master wanted, but this is for the better. Now, go and get help." Asfaloth took one long look at him before with a defeated neigh took off.

He knew Glorfindel would be absolutely furious with him for this, but Erestor wasn't too happy with the warrior either at the moment. His head still throbbed painfully and he knew he would have an impressive bump by the morning. So this probably wasn't a great idea, but he refused to return to Imladris without Glorfindel. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to the blond warrior.

Though he didn't know if he could make much of a difference, he would at least try. He now dearly wished for his old sword which hung like a dusty relic on the wall in his chamber. He hadn't carried it for a very long time and he was never really good at using it, but in the times of war in the past everyone should know a little bit about self-defence. He remembered how his father had pleaded with him to leave his dear books and at least learn the basics of how to wield a sword. He never enjoyed it, but he got his father's point about the importance of it and did his best. There were some who did worse than Erestor who in any case had his agility to relay on, however it was quite clear that he would never make a good warrior.

But as it was now he was pretty much unarmed. Except for the small dagger hidden in his boot that not even Glorfindel knew of. Actually nobody knew of the little knife he usually wore, efficiently hidden under his long robes. He supposed it was a remnant from the dark times when it felt necessary to at least carry something sharp with him. Though there had been peace for a long time now the world was still not a safe place, which had been clearly shown tonight. To feel the dagger pressed against his leg had always felt comforting. Of course there wasn't much he could do with a knife, but at least he wasn't unarmed.

His light run had taken him closer to the sounds of orcs and he cautiously began to slow down, not wanting to reveal himself. He didn't hear any wargs and guessed they were off hunting somewhere else. The voices seemed to heading his way and he quickly decided to climb a tree to go unnoticed. Erestor hadn't climbed any trees since he was an elfling but he thought he remembered the technique well enough. After some effort he finally was seated on a thick branch, and it didn't take long before the orcs emerged from the trees. Erestor watched the vile creatues with dread; ithad been a long time since he even saw an orc. They didn't venture into the forests of Imladris often, and if they did the warriors would be sure to hunt them down quickly.

When they came closer he noticed that without the wargs the group wasn't as big as you would have thought from the sounds, maybe just something over a dozen. But they were still a formidable threat. The orcs were pretty big too, bigger than anyone Erestor had encountered before. It would definitely be a risky thing to take on this group by yourself. The advisor truly hoped that Glorfindel hadn't run into them yet. If so there was a chance that he would find the warrior's lifeless body next, and the thought made him shiver. He went further out on his branch to take a closer look at them. If none of them were injured, they likely hadn't met Glorfindel. They seemed uninjured, he thought with relief. He didn't know what their wargs were up to, but this group of orcs had at least not had any encounter with the blond elf. So caught up in his musing, he didn't even notice when he took a wrong step and found himself slipping off the branch. With a racing heart he quickly tried to regain his balance and find something to hold on to. His flailing hands managed to get hold of a twig above him, but it was too thin to support his weight for any longer time so it cracked and had him falling to the ground with a yelp. He landed on the leaf covered ground with a painful thump, right in the middle of a group of very surprised orcs.

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Glorfindel stopped his run and listened carefully. The sounds of the wargs seemed to be heading away from his track. Either they had found a more interesting track to follow, or the orcs had called them back. He didn't want to lose the position of the orcs, so he started heading back to see what they were up to. They were likely to have followed the wargs, so they should be close by. They were starting to get alarmingly close to Imladris and he didn't like it; he would need his warriors soon to stop them getting any closer. Asfaloth should have carried Erestor to Imladris by now, and that meant that enforcement should be on its way, he thought hopefully.

After tracking through the forest for some time he finally heard the sounds of orcs again. They were close to Imladris, but still a safe distant away. Glorfindel was relived by that, but the excited voices from the crowd increased his worries once again. He hurriedly set off to see what the orcs had found, but a piercing scream made him stop dead in his tracks. Glorfindel would recognise that voice anywhere. 'Erestor,' he thought with rising horror.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

For an agonizing moment everything stood still when Erestor, shocked, found himself on the ground looking up on the orcs surrounding him. They seemed just as surprised as he was, and the dark-haired elf quickly used the opportunity to grab the dagger in his boot and get to his feet. It pained him some and he probably had quite a few bruises, but he didn't think he had hurt himself too badly. The motion seemed to bring the orcs out of their stupor, and with a collected shout they drew their weapons. Even though it felt hopeless, Erestor placed himself in the fighting position he learned so long ago. The orcs probably sensed his insecurity and didn't seem to see him as much of a threat to them. One large orc with a nasty scar over its right eye stepped forward from the group which now surrounded him. Erestor assumed he was their leader. 

"Well, what do we have here? A lost little elf, it would seem," the foul looking orc said with a spiteful sneer. Erestor only glared at him in reply. "I think we could have some fun with you tonight." He showed his yellow and pointy teeth in a malicious grin and the group of orcs around him agreed excitedly. "Take him," he ordered. "But make sure he's alive."

When the first orc plunged towards him Erestor instinctively raised his knife. With a quick motion he sliced the creature and swirled around to meet the orcs approaching from behind. He managed to sidestep the blow directed at him just in time and kick the attacking orc in the ribs, but the time of distraction gave the other assailants an opening. A hard blow to his wrist knocked the dagger out of his now useless hand. Erestor gasped at the pain but quickly found himself in time to dodge a blade coming unnervingly close to him.

"I said don't kill him, you fool!" he heard the leader orc shout angrily.

A powerful hit to his face had his head spinning, and he fell to the ground were he received a painful kick in the ribs that had him gasping for breath. He tried to rise, but someone kicked him over on his back. He squinted up at the leader orc which now had his boot placed at Erestor's throat, holding him down and making it hard to breathe properly. He tried to draw a shaky breath, but didn't manage to get much air into his burning lungs because of the restricting foot. He panicked slightly and tried to move the offending boot away, but it only pressed down harder.

"Not so high and mighty anymore, are we?" the leader orc said mockingly while leering down at him. "Get something to bind him with," he ordered.

The boot finally left his throat and let him take a much needed breath, but the relief was short-lived when another blow to his stomach made him cry out. He was rolled over to his stomach and a sharp blade was pressed to his neck while brutal hands brought his wrist together behind his back. Erestor couldn't stop himself from crying out softly when they jostled his hurting wrist, which earned him cruel laughter from the surrounding orcs. Coarse ropes dug into his skin and his wrists were bound together painfully tight. He squirmed to relieve the stress on his arms, but stopped when he felt the blade at his neck break his skin and the orc holding it hissed in his ear.

"Be still, or I will remove that pretty little head from your body."

When his hands were securely bound behind his back the leader orc grasped his hair in a firm grip and dragged him up on his feet. Erestor winced but said nothing, gritting his teeth together. He tried his best not to show the rising fear he felt and stared boldly back at the disgusting orc.

"My, my, aren't you a pretty little thing." Erestor felt the foul breath hit his face and nearly gagged at the smell. He tried to back away but the painfully hard grip in his hair prevented it, and to his dismay he was drawn even closer. "I think we will have fun tonight," the orc said with a grin, and stroked a clawed finger along Erestor's cheek. He shuddered and tried once again to put some distance between him and the orc before him, desperately hoping it was all a nightmare.

"Don't touch me!" He cried out and jerked his head away the best he could, then did the only thing he could think of and spat in the orc's face. Come to think about it, that probably wasn't such a good idea when he saw the anger in the leader orc's eyes. He was violently backhanded and felt his lip split open. He landed hard on his back, crushing his hands behind him, his head connecting violently with the ground and making him even more dizzy. Instantly he felt rough hands roaming all over his body and ripping at his clothes. Some of the claws cut into his flesh and left a stinging sensation. Erestor let out a shrill scream at the sudden turn of events and tried to clear his spinning head.

"Stop it, wait for you turn, I will have him first," the gruff voice of the leader roared, and the groping hands suddenly disappeared.

Erestor felt relief wash over him. Even though he knew it would only be short lived, any respite from those wandering hands was a gift to him. He took the opportunity to tug fiercely at the ropes binding him, trying to loosen them in some way. But they only cut deeper into his already torn wrists and he felt blood trickle down his numb hands. His injured wrist throbbed agonizingly after its harsh treatment. The leader orc was suddenly on top of him and efficiently pressed him down to the ground with his weight. Erestor's breath was laboured and he fearfully looked up at the leering orc on top of him, which ever so slowly leaned down over him.

"Come on, scream for me now," he whispered mockingly in his ear, and a black tongue suddenly licked a wet line along his jaw.

Erestor's eyes grew wide and he tried to jerk away from the offending tongue, but the orc had once again taken hold of his hair and kept his head in place. The last pieces of his tunic were ripped off him and the groping hand travelled along his torso until it reached his face, were it took a firm grip of his chin, digging its nail into his soft skin. The hard grip forced his mouth open and a tongue suddenly plundered his mouth. Erestor was beyond panic now, he flailed and kicked with all his might at the orc on top of him. He gagged at the disgusting taste and made muffled protests at the horrible invasion, but the tongue would not stop.

An unexpected roar from behind made the cheering orcs look up abruptly, and the vile tongue finally left Erestor's mouth. Gasping, he turned his face away when the hand around his jaw loosened and he coughed weakly, trying to get the awful taste out of his mouth. With loud screeches the foul creature drew their weapons around him and Erestor searched the surroundings for this new threat that had them so upset. The grip in his hair was still there but the leader orc was getting up from him, to the elf's great relief. However, soon after he was dragged along but his legs felt wobbly underneath him and he would probably have fallen to the ground if it wasn't for the tight hold on his hair that made such a thing impossible. At least it was easier for him to look around when he wasn't pinned to the ground anymore. What he saw made his heart leap with joy at the same time that dread filled him. Glorfindel was marching towards them with his sword raised and so much anger blazing in his eyes it almost scared Erestor, even though he knew it wasn't directed at him.

Of course he wanted the golden warrior to take him away from this living nightmare, but there was still the distressing fact that it was just him against too many orcs. He was brought out of his musing when he was violently pushed against another orc. "Take care of him," the leader orc ordered and drew his scimitar. The orc behind him grabbed his arms in an iron grip and its claw slashed his unprotected skin on his upper arms. But Erestor didn't really notice; he had all his attention focused on the elf now fast approaching. He was going to get himself killed and it would be entirely his fault, he thought fearfully. He met the warrior's eyes for but a second and saw the determination written in them. Erestor knew that Glorfindel wouldn't have backed down now even if it was the whole army of Mordor facing him.

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The cheering sounds of the orcs grew louder and Glorfindel finally saw them through the thick woods. The wargs were nowhere in sight and the whole group of orcs stood gathered around something. With growing fear he quickly climbed a tree to get a better look at the situation instead of just marching in there, which actually felt more appealing at the moment. A muffled sound that did not sound anything like an orc was carried over the shouts. He leaned forward on his branch and what he saw made his heart stop. In the middle of the crowd lay Erestor with a large orc on top of him, which was forcing his tongue down the squirming elf's throat.

To find his dear Erestor violated by these vile creatures made Glorfindel's blood boil with anger. With a roar he leaped from the tree, and as soon as his feet touched the ground he drew his sword. The orcs would pay a painful price for what they had done to his sweet Erestor.

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Erestor watched in horror as the first orc attacked Glorfindel and clumsily tried to stab him. It was easily dodged by the warrior, but he was quickly surrounded by the others. However, the fight actually went fairly well for the blond elf and Erestor saw the leader orc standing fidgeting by the side, not looking too pleased at the development. But when a blade caught Glorfindel's left arm he grinned and Erestor cried out, hoping it was nothing too serious. However, the warrior didn't even seem to notice it and if anything, he actually looked more determined as he swiftly killed the orc that had sliced his arm.

When another orc was killed by the golden elf's relentless blade the leader orc put his scimitar back in its scabbard with a curse. He irritably strode over and grabbed Erestor by the hair again, wrenching him out of the other orc's grip. The dark-haired elf's head was pulled back, leaving his throat vulnerable and a small but sharp dagger was pressed against it.

Erestor stilled any motions as the leader orc shouted out. "Stop!"

The orcs looked up and eventually Glorfindel as well when he noticed his opponents had stopped fighting. What he saw made him freeze instantly.

"Put down your sword or I will not hesitate to slit his throat," the leader orc snarled.

Glorfindel lowered his sword but did not drop it. "Let him go, or you'll regret it," he demanded in a low dangerous voice which spoke of certain death for the orc.

To Erestor's satisfaction he actually felt the orc shudder, but he gasped when the knife was pressed harder against his skin and he sensed a thin trail of blood make its way down his throat.

"Put down the sword, now!" the orc roared.

Erestor knew if he did then both of them would surely die. He would rather have a quick death now, with the hope of Glorfindel's survival, instead of seeing him killed unarmed and afterwards be violated by these creatures.

"No, don't you dare drop it Glorfindel! Fight for me instead, don't let them take you so easily," he desperately cried out.

"Be quiet!" his captor angrily hissed in his ear and tugged at his hair.

Glorfindel stood undecided and met Erestor's eyes with a pained expression. He was breathing deeply from the fight, all adrenaline seemed to have left his body. The dark-haired elf tried to look calm for him, but the truth was that he was both terrified and exhausted. His whole body hurt and his legs felt like they wouldn't be able to carry him for much longer. When he saw Glorfindel lowering his sword further he tried to plead with his eyes to make the warrior stop.

But suddenly he felt the grip on his hair loosen, and his captor slid to the ground behind him with a thump. First it was a shocked silence, but Glorfindel quickly found his senses and attacked the nearest orc with a growl. That seemed to wake the other orcs from their trancelike staring at their leader's death, but they were soon cut down by the group of warriors who suddenly crowded the glade. At the sight Erestor slid to the ground, not having the power to support himself any longer and feeling a great relief overwhelm him. He saw the orc lying behind him on the ground with an arrow protruding from his back, his eyes staring lifelessly in front him. Erestor closed his eyes and looked away from the sight.

Glorfindel came running towards the petite elf sitting hunched on the ground, trusting his warriors to take care of the few orcs left. He was appalled by Erestor's miserable condition. His half naked body was filled with cuts and bruises and a big black eye covered the left side of his pale face. The dark hair was in a disarrayed state and hung in tangles over his face, almost concealing it. He angrily kicked the leader orc's body away from Erestor and carefully kneeled in front of the almost apathetic elf.

"Erestor," he murmured and caressed the unbruised cheek, not sure if he should smile or cry at the sight before him. The touch seemed to at least bring the elf out of his trancelike state. He flinched and looked up at Glorfindel.

"Glorfindel," he whispered with obvious relief written in his eyes, then suddenly frowned. "You're hurt," he stated looking at the warrior's bloody arm.

Glorfindel almost smiled at his worry. "I'm fine, it's just a scratch. I'm much more worried about you right now, love." He drew his dagger from its scabbard. "Sit still so I can cut your bonds."

He carefully cut the ropes from the Erestor's torn and bloodied wrists. A whimper escaped his lips when the blood flow returned to his probably numb hands. Glorfindel helped him get the circulation going by gently massaging his wrists and hands while at the same time trying to avoid the injured skin and the very swollen right wrist.

"What happened?" he inquired, meaning the swollen wrist which he carefully took in his hands.

"Someone kicked my knife out of my hand."

"Were did you get a knife from?" he asked, surprised by the answer.

"I always carry one in my boot," Erestor replied with a weak smile

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Glorfindel said lovingly and embraced the small elf uncertainly, wondering if the close contact was welcome, but to his relief the hug was returned. He had been so scared to loose this precious elf and it felt good to hold him in his arms again. He heard a muffled sob coming from Erestor so he held him tighter and stroked his head. "Sshh, everything is well now."

Amran, one of his warriors, approached them after some time. He still was a little confused as to how they had found them, but those questions could wait until later.

"They are all dead now, Captain."

Glorfindel carefully freed himself from the tight embrace but still held Erestor close. "Good, but there are still their wargs left. I want you to take a group of warriors and take care of them first thing in the morning."

"Of course." Amran seemed to take in their appearance, Erestor with his bare upper body and Glorfindel with torn clothes and a blood-spattered arm. He kneeled next to his Captain and with a piece of cloth bound his arm. He then took off his cloak which he handed to Erestor, who accepted it with a coy "thank you".

After seeing that none of them were seriously hurt Amran stood up to leave, sensing their need for privacy. "I will go get your horse."

"Asfaloth?" Glorfindel had wondered what happened to his horse, seeing as Erestor wasn't with him anymore.

"Yes, it's how we found you; he led us here when we were returning from our patrol at the southern border." Looking over both of them he added, "I will send word for our return and have the healers ready."

Glorfindel nodded his thanks before Amran went to join the other warriors. When he turned to Erestor again, the warrior found him struggling to get the cloak around him because of his injured wrist. With a small smile he stopped the dark elf's fumbling and helped him wrap the cloak around him. He took a corner of it and gently dried away some tears and the blood that was smeared over his face from his split lip. He had noticed that Erestor's breathing seemed a little stressed and he lightly traced his fingers along the ribs.

"Does it hurt when you breathe?" he questioned.

"Some, it's difficult to take deep breaths."

"I think you have a couple of cracked ribss and by the size of your bruises it doesn't surprise me. When we get back we will get them wrapped and it will be easier for you to breathe. Do you think you can handle it until then?"

"Aye, I will be alright."

"If it gets too painful or hard to breathe you must tell me."

Erestor merely nodded and once again nestled in to his arms, leaning heavily against his chest.

"How are you feeling, love?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm tired, and a bit dizzy," Erestor mumbled into his chest.

After a long silence, when Glorfindel almost thought the dark-haired elf in his arm had fallen asleep, he suddenly spoke. "You knocked me unconscious."

He winced at the memory. "Aye. I'm so sorry Erestor, I understand if you angry with me." He gently traced his fingers along the back of the advisor's head, searching for the lump he was sure to find there. He grimaced guiltily when he found the little bump. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"No, not really, if you compare it to everything else. It didn't work though, you should have hit me harder."

The warrior stiffened and tried to apologise again but the Councillor stopped him.

"Glorfindel, don't worry, I'm not angry with you. I was, but not anymore. Although I would have preferred a better method, I kind of understand why you did it. I didn't want to see you get hurt either."

"Just don't do it again," he added after a moment.

"I promise," Glorfindel said with a small smile, relieved that Erestor wasn't mad at him.

At that time Asfaloth came trotting over to them and nudged him in the shoulder. "Hi there. We owe you a lot, my friend. I promise to bring you some juicy apples tomorrow, how about that?"

"Yes, we certainly are in your debts." Erestor reached forward and stroked Asfaloth's muzzle affectionately. "Were would your master be without you?" he added with a teasing grin.

Glorfindel tried to look offended but failed miserably. He gathered Erestor in his arms as he stood up. He helped the dark elf up on the horse's back, who willingly took the offered assistance without any protest. 'He must be really tired,' the warrior thought, concerned as he sat up behind him. The other elves had mounted their horses as well after gathering the corpses in a pile which would be burned in the morning.

"Are we ready to leave?" Glorfindel inquired.

"Yes, I sent a couple of warriors to forewarn the healers of our coming."

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Erestor leaned heavily against Glorfindel's chest, feeling terribly tired. He had just finished telling the warrior briefly about what had transpired tonight, though he didn't feel like going in to any details about his captivity at the hands of the orcs. He felt humiliated, and the memories were still too fresh. The blond elf seemed to sense his unease and didn't question him any further on the subject. He knew Glorfindel was not pleased with him going back to find him, and the dangerous position he had placed himself in. But he said nothing about it, he merely held Erestor tighter when he stammered through his story.

It was pitch-dark outside now and one of the warriors had lit a torch which Erestor now was staring at with sleepy eyes. He snuggled deeper into the cloak that was wrapped around him and tried to take as small breaths as possible and still get the amount of air he needed. He yearned to take a really deep breath, but he knew that it would pain him too much and not be worth it. The ache in his body had managed to keep him awake for this long, but he now found himself slipping away despite the pain. The motion of the horse slowly rocked him to sleep, and finally oblivion found him and he slipped in to painless darkness.

Glorfindel looked down when he felt Erestor go limp in his arms and at last fall into unconsciousness. The ride had not been pleasant for the injured elf and the warrior was glad that he finally gave way to sleep. He wouldn't say anything, but Glorfindel could tell that the petite elf didn't feel well at all, both in body and soul.

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Erestor woke up to the feeling of being carried. His whole body ached and with great effort he took a couple of unsteady breaths. He squinted up at the one carrying him and met blue eyes looking down on him.

"Where—" he tried to say, but it came out as a croak.

Glorfindel seemed to understand what it was he was trying to say, however.

"We're back in Imladris love, and I'm taking you to the healing rooms. You will feel better soon."

He looked around him and saw it was true, they actually were back and he spotted Elrond walking in front of them. But the next thing he observed had him protesting.

"Your arm Glorfindel, you shouldn't be carrying me."

"I said it was just a scratch, now relax and go back to sleep."

Knowing from experience it was useless to argue, Erestor leaned back and placed his head on Glorfindel's shoulder. "Fine," he muttered and soon he was sound asleep again.

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The next couple of days Erestor reluctantly stayed in the healing rooms by the orders of Elrond. Glorfindel was let of the hook easily; the wound on his arm hadn't been very serious after all and after it had been cleaned and bandaged he was free to go with a promise to rest it for a couple of days. Though Erestor slept away most of the first day, the second he was bored and sat staring out of the window from his bed. He had woken from a nightmare and didn't dare to close his eyes just yet. Glorfindel would return later in the afternoon; Erestor had shooed him away from the side of his bed a couple of hours ago. He knew the Captain wanted to check up on his warriors and make sure every last trace of the orcs and wargs was cleaned out of Imladris. But he had still been reluctant to leave the advisor's side, and had hardly done so since their return. Deciding it was better for both of them, Erestor had insisted that Glorfindel should go down to the barracks instead of trying to take care of the matters from the healing rooms, which wasn't very appreciated by the healers.

But Erestor felt he was on the mend now, and already felt much better than before. After some nagging from his side he would even get to leave the healing wing this evening. However, Elrond of course insisted he would continue his rest and should not return to his work for some time yet. Knowing it was useless to argue with Elrond's stern healer look he had agreed, just happy to at least be able to move back into his rooms. He fretted a bit over not being able to use his right hand for awhile, but it was much easier to breathe now and his head didn't throb so painfully anymore. A good night's sleep had helped the healing process a lot. His exhaustion had sent him into deep slumber at first, but now when his sleep was lighter he had experienced his first disturbing nightmare about the happenings in the woods. The thought of falling asleep again didn't feel very tempting at all, but despite all that his traitorous eyelids soon grew heavy and he fell into light slumber.

_Erestor found himself pinned to the ground by a large sneering orc, his face unnervingly close to his. He cried out at the sight, but all he heard around him was cruel laughter. Rough hands clawed at his body and he felt his clothes tearing, he tried to fight of the invasion but his body felt strangely weak and unresponsive. The orc on top of him suddenly leaned down with bared teeth and bit down at the crookof his neck, breaking the skin. Erestor gasped as he felt warm blood run down his neck. _

_"What's wrong sugar, aren't you enjoying yourself?" the orc chuckled in his ear. _

He cried out and shot straight up from the bed. The sudden motion had him whimpering in pain and clutching at his hurting ribs. But before Erestor could fall back on the bed again someone gently caught him in their arms. He fearfully cried out at the sudden contact and flinched away from it.

"Sssh, it's only me, you're okay. It was only a dream." Glorfindel's soothing voice reached his ears and made him relax into the arms.

"It was so real," he breathed out, still a little shaken while clutching at the warrior's tunic just to be sure he was really there.

"You know, you can talk to me when ever you're ready," Glorfindel said after awhile, as he rubbed his back soothingly.

"I know, thank you." He swallowed thickly and added, "For everything." He felt the arms tightening around him.

"It's nothing, you came back for me after all. But don't you ever scare me like that again. I think I'd rather face another balrog."

Erestor smiled weakly. "I can promise you that I would rather not do something like that again, ever." He felt tears stinging in his eyes at the memory and he took a shuddering breath.

"Erestor?" Glorfindel inquired worriedly and pushed him away slightly to have a look at him, but the dark elf wouldn't meet his eyes

"I'm sorry, it's silly really. I know that it's all over now and I shouldn't be thinking of it, but I can still feel their hands upon me and—" A sob he had being trying to hold in escaped his lips. "The memories will just not leave me in peace," he added quietly as silent tears ran down his face.

"Hush, this is not something I expect for you to forget over a night, Erestor. But I promise you that it will get better in time. We'll get through this together."

Erestor just nodded and took a firmer hold on Glorfindel, soaking the warrior's tunic with tears.

"Glorfindel?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Will you sleep in my rooms tonight? Please."

Glorfindel lowered him down on the bed. He ran a callused thumb over his dampened cheek and placed a kiss on his brow.

"Of course. Now go back to sleep, I will be here when you wake."

Glorfindel kept his promise and stayed by his side, and Erestor allowed reverie to take him once again but this time it was restful, all nightmares chased away by the reassuring presence beside him. Not everything was well yet but he knew it would be in time, as long as he had his beloved golden warrior at his side.

The End

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_Oh my, wasn't that just a cheesy ending, haha. But that's all anyway, I hope you liked it! I love reviews and they inspire me to keep writing so please take some time and tell me what you thought about it. _

_I might do another sequel to this but nothing is sure yet. If I do it will probably contain a lemon so you will only get the censored version here, but in that case I will also offer a link to the whole story so you can decide for yourself if you want to read the uncensored version. _

_We'll see, I also been thinking about writing a cute Estel story so that's maybe what you get next. __Or something completely different…you never know. _


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